In 2026, NSU returned to the top 100 in the QS Subject Rankings in Archaeology (last year, it ranked 101-150). Only three Russian universities are included in the rankings with NSU in first place (ranked 51-100) followed by Moscow State University (101-150) and Altai State University (151-200).
Four criteria are applied to compile the Archeology subject rankings: academic reputation (70%), employer reputation (10%), citation impact (10%), and the H-Index (Hirsch Index) (10%). The main factors contributing to NSU's improved ranking were its reputation with employers and the growth of scientometric indicators (publication citations and the H-Index).
In the employer reputation category, NSU rose from 95th place globally in 2025 to 35th in 2026. Among Russian universities, employers ranked NSU 2nd (after Moscow State University), an improvement from 4th place in 2025. Also, among Russian universities, NSU ranked 2nd in citations, up from 4th place in 2025. In relation to the Hirsch index, it ranks 1st among Russian universities, up from 3rd place in 2025. Finally, among Russian universities, in the academic reputation category NSU took 1st place. In 2025 it was 2nd after Moscow State University.
